Flame in the Night
by Kasidy92
Summary: Fire and darkness. Such a curious combination. (A collection of drabbles!)
1. A Romantic Situation

DISCLAIMER: The following is a fanbased fiction. I do not own Legend of Dragoon nor its characters.

* * *

"Did you guys put yourself into. . . umm. . . a romantic situation?"

Rose nearly crushed the glass in her hand. Glancing down, she spied a small crack materialized beneath her grip. Sitting at the inn's bar with her back to her friends, she hoped dearly that no one saw the twitch in her back.

'Shit.'

For the first time in centuries, she gave a small prayer of thanks to Soa. If Haschel had not burst into boisterous laughter, breaking the incredulous silence Meru's words had caused then, there would have been one less Wingly in the already endangered race.

"Don't be silly, Meru!" Haschel scolded loudly. Indeed, Rose felt she could relax just the slightest as the man put the curious girl in her place. Breathing out slowly through her nose, she let his words sink in.

'Right. Don't be silly,' she reassured herself, slightly annoyed that hours later the night's events still bothered her. There was nothing 'romantic' about nearly drowning in the bay and having to haul an unconscious warrior to the nearest bit of land she could find. Dart was barely alive. She did what she had to do to take care of him.

The rest. . . she would make sense of that later, when they did not have to worry about Lloyd. Or Moon Objects. Or Dragons.

'Goodness, I sound pathetic,' she admonished herself. Bringing the cold glass to her lips once more, she closed her eyes in frustration.

"But did you cuddle with Rose?"

She cared not for her outburst then, nor the broken glass shards and drink splattered across the bar counter. Grateful to be joined by Dart and Albert (even Meru, despite just seconds ago having a death wish), she gave as lethal a glare as she could muster at the unapologetic, chortling geezer. With a snort, she glanced Dart's way. Understandably, he merely sat beside an absolutely miserable Shana and scratched his blonde hair, his head hung in embarrassment and tan cheeks redder than the sky of setting sun.

Her dark, hot stare must have been unbearable upon him, for he eventually glanced her way, giving a frustrated look of his own.

It was then that Rose realized a truth so frightening to her, she could feel each and every bit of assurance she had mustered over the past few hours slip away into oblivion.

Dart had been the one to wake her up that morning. He had called out her name urgently, grabbing her shoulders and giving her gentle shakes as the little boy Pete and his dog ran around aggravatingly loud for so early in the morning.

Sometime or another, be it when Pete found the two of them or some time before, Dart, laying in her lap more or less, had woken up to her sleeping form holding him for dear life. It was no wonder why he kept asking if she was alright that morning on the way to Fueno. And what could he be thinking now, confronted with Haschel's immature question? Rose swallowed the bile rising in her throat as Dart turned his fearful gaze towards the floor.

Technically. . . could they have cuddled?

'. . .well, fuck.'

Turning back to face the remains of her drink, she leaned over the counter, hoping her thick, dark hair would function just as well as a cloak to hide the distraught look on her pink tinted face.

* * *

WOW THAT WAS STUPID XD

And so I begin my little diary of short stories and drabbles! Don't take the things I write here too seriously. I'm starting this just so I can practice various writing skills. As always with my stories, I am a DartxRose supporter, so you can expect romance of all kinds between the two :3 Happy reading!


	2. Dark Saviour

The back of his head crashing against a boulder, Dart spread his lips apart, ready to scream. A rough hand covered his mouth before he could let out a sound.

"Shh."

His chest heaved violently against his armor as the dark shadow of a woman knelt over him. Face shrouded behind a thick curtain of black hair, her head was turned to the narrow opening between the fallen trees and boulders they had just barely slipped through. Or rather she had thrown him like a sack of vegetables before gracefully landing by his side.

A deafening screech echoed into their hiding spot. Dart's eyes writhed as the ground beneath him began to rumble. He pushed the woman's dusty glove from his lips.

"What are you-"

"If you don't want to die, be quiet," she whispered before he could finish his protest. The rubble and rocks surrounding them began to bounce from the earth as the enormous beast neared. He stifled a gasp as she abruptly pressed herself against his torso, pushing him further against the boulder. Gripping her right arm, he felt his stomach flipped as her face bore into the crook of his neck.

"Relax," she breathed into his ear.

'The hell. . . ' He opened his mouth to question her actions, only to clench his jaw as another terrible screech ripped through the air. The beast must be right above them. Its guttural growls sent a shiver throughout his being. In his five years of travel, he had heard but a couple of grandiose stories of a menacing, jade-colored monster that dwelled in the deepest depths of the poisonous forests of the continent. A vicious demon the size of cathedrals, capable of laying waste to even the most fortified of kingdoms. To say this was far from what he expected was a damn understatement.

He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the warm breath tickling the hairs of his neck.

The booming steps and growls soon became fainter and fainter. It was many minutes before the forest returned to it's previous serenity.

The woman was the first one to move, peeling herself away from him and standing up. Taking graceful strides, she climbed up the pile of trees and boulders, pausing as she reached the slender opening.

"Are you coming?" she muttered.

Gawking slightly, he scrambled to his feet. "R-right."

The pathway was a complete mess, a terrible muddy trap after the havoc the beast had wreaked upon it. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw the direction of the disorder: the opposite direction of his destination.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered out loud.

"A dragon."

Turning to face her, he finally got a clear view of the woman who had saved his life. The first thing he noticed was her horns. No, they couldn't be horns, he admonished himself dumbly. Leaning on her hip, she removed her headpiece, gripping it in her leather gloved hands. She was clad completely in dark violet armor, dull gold trimming lining and swirling about in simple yet stately patterns. On her hip hung a pitch black rapier; for a moment, he stopped to marvel at the archaic work on the blades hilt. It was the kind of weapon he'd see on display in museums.

Her hair was long and dark, falling in thick, mussed, grimy locks down her back. A clear of her throat finally brought his attention to her face. Her pale skin was sullied with dirt and the slightest bits of crusted blood. Black eyes (could eyes even be black, Dart wondered then) surveyed the area nonchalantly, narrowing as they met with Dart's. He was still, his gaze refusing to leave hers, even as her brows furrowed in a frown.

"It was a dragon," she repeated stiffly, mounting her headpiece back in place.

He blinked, finally closing his agape mouth.

"Y-yeah," he blurted, perhaps a bit too loudly. "Thanks for saving me."

* * *

So it hasn't been a week since I uploaded the first, but bite me XD Term papers are stressing me the fuck out.

Hmm. Not quite sure how I feel about this one. There's no real structure and I wasn't particularly practicing anything. Just wanted to fuck around with Dart XD

I hope you guys don't mind me dirtying up Rose. I think the look suits her. She's pretty much just be screwing around in the forest when she first comes across the Dart!


	3. Love for the Dead

"If you must know. . . " Rose paused in her speech, shifting on the cool duvet of the bed she sat upon. A thin, sad smile spread across her lips. "I nearly killed Damia in a training session." Rose couldn't help but snort at the shocked yet knowing look on Dart's face. He sat directly across on a bed of his own, arched forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah, that sound's like you," he muttered, no doubt replaying the violent spars they used to take part in when Dart first awakened his Dragoon spirit. "Still, I can see why he'd be mad. Wasn't she only fifteen?"

"I didn't think it mattered," she breathed, crossing her legs. "Afterall, Meru is only a year older and took quite the natural affinity to her spirit. But yes, Damia was so badly injured, even Shirley had her doubts." She closed her eyes. "And as the self-proclaimed 'leader of the Dragoons', Zieg couldn't help but scold me, even going so far as to threatening me with the same treatment."

"Really?"

"Of course. I'd take my sword against him should I believe he was acting inappropriately. Frankly, I'd be insulted if he'd hold back just because we were lovers."

"Now that definitely sounds like you, Rose."

"I suppose."

They were silent then, the quiet sounds of the Fletz River trickling through the room's cracked window. Lifting her gaze just the slightest, Rose watched as Dart stared at the lit candle on the nightstand between their beds. His eyes hooded and relaxed, he seemed to be searching for something within the small, flickering flame.

She took the chance to finally get comfortable. Pushing off her boots, she worked hastily to remove the heaviest parts of her armor.

The moment she had slipped from the women's quarters, creeping past guards in the shadows of the castle until she finally reached the city, she sensed him following close behind. His presence was warm, faltering every so often, as if unsure what distance he should keep.

She tolerated his stalking only until she reached the inn, stopping abruptly at the entrance and demanding he show and explain himself. Though she already knew his motive. He was to ruin her plans for a solitary night with a barrage of questions about her past. Again.

Her steps were heavy and purposeful as she approached the sleepy clerk, and no questions were asked as Rose paid for a room with two beds. Only a curious look was shot their way, lingering on their backs until they turned the corner into the hallway.

Placing her tiara on the ground beside her rapier, she pulled back the comforter and sheets. Her eyes wandered back to her companion. The flickering candle still held his attention. "Get to sleep soon, Dart. You of all people will need it."

"Do you still love him?"

She blinked slowly, not quite sure she had heard correctly. Watching Dart's eyes slowly rise from the candle's flame to meet hers, Rose held her breath. His blue eyes seemed to bore into her. Even as he sat up straight, he kept his stare fixed upon her face. Sincere, if not the slightest bit anxious. Waiting patiently for her confession.

Biting down gently on her lower lip, she lowered her eyes.

Just catching the sight of his trembling hand gripping the edge of the bed.

"Obviously, Zieg moved on. You are proof of that. As far as I am concerned. . ."

Closing her eyes, she quietly swung her legs onto the bed and slipped underneath the covers. A hushed grunt escaped her as she leaned back on her elbows, black cords of hair falling past her shoulders in a dark heap.

". . . the Zieg I loved is long dead. And there is no use pining for a dead man." Fingering the sheet's splitting seam, she furrowed her brow.

The muted sigh of relief did not escape her.

* * *

Ever feel like not wanting to do anything? I don't mean being distracted from your important tasks or being bored by everything that usually interests you, but really just not having the drive or passion (or even the common sense) to do ANYTHING AT ALL. That's how I felt this past week, so this one's a little late, my apologies to followers.

In any case. Hope you liked it :3 I want to start practicing some cyclical writing and stream of conscious. I've been reading a lot of multi-ethnic literature, and that stuff is just loaded with it, so I wanted to try my hand at it. Needless to say, it's a lot more effective in longer short stories and novels, but whatevs, you can expect it very soon from me ^.^


	4. Messiah

The feeling was scant at first, a lukewarm sensation kindling someplace off in the distance. Emerging from the depths of some foreign crevice in his being, it pulsated within his core for a only a few moments before suddenly engulfing him in an explosive heat.

Dart refused to scream out this time, even as he felt his insides boiling. His limbs trembled like a newborn animal's, struggling to stand as the harsh element of his Dragoon spirit beat down upon him. Grinding his teeth, he muffled a curse as his knees buckled and his body began to collapse.

"_A 'messiah'? How pathetic."_

Planting his fist into the dirt, he steadied his body, stopping himself from falling into a fiery heap.

Forcing his eye open, he spied the dark-clad warrior through reddened vision. Rose, was her name? She leaned against a nearby tree, arms folded nonchalantly across her chest and head tilted slightly. The only thing that kept her from looking bored was her intense eyes: dark in hue and firmly set upon his convulsing form.

_Brushing a lock of hair from her cheek, the woman practically glared at Dart. "You cannot call yourself a real Dragoon, being so easily overwhelmed by power." _

_Stopping in his tracks, Dart meant to protest, to retort with a sarcastic reminder that he had only used this 'power' once. Anything to put this newcomer in her place. His savior or not, who was she judge him so?_

_Yet the longer the two stared at each other, the more her eyes seemed to burn through his resolve, simultaneously stripping him down whilst daring him to attack._

Heaving out an agitated sigh, Dart closed his eyes once more, giving as powerful a push as he could muster to allow him to stand. The flames felt hotter than ever as they snaked around his limbs. He hissed as the heat hastily solidified, burning against his bare patches of skin and through his clothes and armor.

"_. . . then show me," he finally muttered in annoyance._

_He furrowed his brow as her gaze finally left his face, instead scanning up and down his body. Soon, the seconds of silence and her wandering eyes became uncomfortable and Dart cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I-I said, show-"_

"_Come," she breathed shortly before turning on her heel, headed toward the town's exit._

His breath hitched as the flames curled away from his arms and legs, spreading over his chest and torso until they met in a flare on his back. Faltering at the new weight on his body, he could not stifle the quiet moan of relief that escaped him as the maddening heat abruptly dissolved.

Squinting through thin vapors of steam that surrounded him, he frowned at the sight of Rose slowly approaching him, donning a set of armor that resembled his own, save for the worn, black shade. With a smooth flutter of her wings, she was floating above the earth, her sleek rapier pointed his way. Beholding what he thought was the faintest of smirks tugging at her lips, Dart swallowed loudly.

"Now then." Her voice was a low, mirthful rumble. "Let us begin."

* * *

You guys don't know how much I wanted to name this chapter "Dart's First Time." Too bad my better judgment got in the way. Booooo maturity... But then again, it's technically his second time, just his first consensual time... kinda ^^;; Damn, I'm outta school for only a day and the stupid shit's already making its way out!

Also, I realize I have no freaking idea what a drabble is. These things probably count more as short stories than drabbles, but "short story diary" just isn't as fun to say as "drabble diary", so nyaaaaaa ;3


	5. Sleepless

"Come closer."

It was a gentle command, uttered barely above a whisper. After seconds of silence, she began to wonder if she was heard at all. Yet just as she parted her lips to repeat her request, she heard the faintest rustle of movement upon the mattress. The sheets shifted slightly as he settled against her. Rose caught her breath as she felt the hairs of his chest brush against her back, the tingling sensation sending a wave of heat across her skin.

When his heavy arm found a place around her waist, the palm of his hand creeping slowly to rest upon her stomach, she couldn't contain the shiver and contented sigh.

"You cold?" His low voice reverberated through the pillow. He didn't wait for her reply, pulling the bed's heavy comforter up to her shoulders and burying his face at the nape of her neck.

As they pressed together, their bodies warming one another, shifting smoothly with every heavy breath, it took Rose every ounce of control she could muster not to turn and face him and claim him once more. Knowing her partner would be perfectly fine with such a choice did little to help.

They needed sleep. She needed sleep. Especially after such a hellishly wonderful night.

The travesty of their first union seemed a distant memory to her, even if it had occurred merely hours ago. Overwhelmed, she had cried, a wretched, painful thirty minutes of bawling, all in the smothering, soothing arms of the man she had just admitted her love to. He would stroke her trembling shoulders, tangling his fingers throughout her hair. As she wiped her tear stained cheeks into his chest, he would lean forward and plant kisses along her forehead.

A tedious practice, she realized. It was still a conundrum to her how he could tolerate her ugly sobbing and violent convulsions.

Yet as she finally calmed, she found prying herself away from him to compose herself a challenge; when she did break free of his locked arms, she felt his worried eyes upon her back as she crossed the room to the basin of water that sat upon the dresser. Turning around as she dried her face, he looked absolutely desperate for her.

And perhaps she looked and felt desperate herself, for when their eyes met, he immediately stood, his gaze never leaving hers as he hungrily approached her. In seconds, they were upon the bed once more, their caution and reservations all but shattered as they thrashed about.

Drawing a quiet breath, she bit her lip as the hand on her stomach began to roam to her side. His fingertips gently dug into her skin, rolling her onto her back while he shifted his body away. He towered over her, blocking the already scant moonlight that shone through the window from illuminating her features.

Relaxing into the pillow, Rose peered up at Dart. His hooded eyes glazed over her face, casually lowering to her chest. His fingers slithered up her waist until they rested upon a taut breast.

"It's late, Dart," she whispered in vain. He had already began to knead the soft mound. Resisting the instinctive urge to arch her back, she pressed a hand against his chest. A terrible idea, as her fingers splayed across his firm pectoral. Her eyes fluttered shut as he suddenly lowered his head, their mouths brushing delicately against each others. As he released his tongue upon her dry lips, she couldn't help but let out a breathy chuckle.

Perhaps she could go another night without sleep, if not for the man she loved.

* * *

Ahh, I love summer :3 My smut reading has increased ten fold... okay, I don't know the exact number, but I get to read lots of it uninterrupted. Hooray for the perverted mind!

This one's the direct-ish sequel-ish to "Let Me Love You" I've been meaning to do. Because there's way I can just end their smut with Rose's cryfest. And why would she be so apprehensive about moving on the next day when all they did was... whatever I fucking wrote... (I don't remember what the hell I wrote back then =w=;;) So yep, they got down and dirty after she calmed down. I knew they both had it in them ;3


	6. See For Yourself

Loosening his grip on the hilt of his sword, Dart narrowed his eyes at the lounging silhouette perched atop a slick boulder. A few faint moonbeams, barely piercing through the thick treetops and deformed limbs, illuminated the dark figure just the slightest. The dim shine of gold trim snaking along a stiff collar, trailing down the curve of a bosom confirmed Dart's suspicions.

"Rose?" he called out cautiously. There was a faint glint off the sharp tip of her headpiece as she nodded her head.

Sheathing his blade, he quietly trudged through the wet landscape. As he neared her, the scant light seemed to scatter as a humid breeze rustled the leaves and brush. It was many moments before the air settled back to its stagnant, sticky state; just as the beams were allowed back in place upon the dark warrior, Dart stood before her.

"You okay?" he breathed, leaning against a mossy tree.

A quiet grunt was her only reply.

"Chase off a beast or something?"

Another grunt, coupled with a listless shake of the head.

"You. . . aren't gonna tell me why you left camp?"

Dart waited in silence, his eyes scanning over what little he could make out of her face. After spying what he thought was a roll of her eyes, he let out a frustrated sigh.

"What does it matter?" her reply startled him. Clearing his throat, he stiffened against the tree.

"Well," he went on, "when you said you would take the watch tonight, I kind of thought you would actually be watching us and not. . ." He paused, glancing toward the opening above them that the Moon's light shone through ". . . whatever you've been looking at this whole time." He frowned at the sound of a short, hushed chuckle.

"Do you wish for me to stare at your sleeping bodies all night?" she muttered, the slightest bit of dry mirth in her voice.

"You know what I'm getting at," he shot back with a glare. "We don't need someone who's not going to take our lives seriously-"

"Do not even try to lecture me, Dart." The way she flippantly uttered his name caught the man off guard. It was the first time she had bothered to call him by his name, he realized then. Spoken with such carelessness and apathy. "Do you seriously believe that I offered to do this facetiously? That I don't know how to make sure my comrades can make it through the night without getting gorged or gutted by some blood lustful beast or wanderer?"

In one lazy movement, she slid down from the boulder, stepping in front of him and sporting her usual stoic, aloof expression. "It's nighttime, Dart," she quietly affirmed pointedly, as if it may be unknown to him. "In a swamp no less. And the beasts in this area are quite used to hiding in the shrouds. In short, sight is useless." She blinked slowly. "I've been doing this for a very long time, much longer than you if this little, ignorant fit you're throwing is any indication. If I say you're friends will be safe on my watch, I mean it."

Her head tilted casually, and immediately Dart felt uncomfortable. Clenching his jaw, he let out shallow breath through his nostrils.

". . . can I really trust you, Rose?" he all but growled.

He watched as she lowered her eyes, an uneasy sensation rising in his gut as her brow furrowed and lips lopsidedly twitched upward. As he opened his mouth to repeat the question, she suddenly let out a voiceless laugh, lifting her gaze to his own for a short moment before turning on her heel so quickly that the ends of her dark hair lightly brushed against his armor.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" she breathed huskily before leaping back atop the boulder.

Watching her settle into the her familiar pose, leaning back upon her elbows, face raised towards the patch in the trees, Dart was silent, letting his anger simmer away. All he was left with as he turned his back on her and treaded swiftly back to his resting companions was a terrible, swollen worry. He eventually caught sight of their camp's fire and sighed. So she was to keep them safe, many steps away and without using her sight, distracted by the night sky?

Replaying her final suggestion in his thoughts, he swallowed loudly.

He would not be sleeping tonight, he decided.

* * *

Err. . . I can explain o.o Wut had happun'd wuzzz... ;w; Conventions and cosplay and beta-reading and gaming and traveling and singing and stuff have kept me from writing as much as possible. But alas, I had a break in all of that, so yay! I definately want to write some more ficlets (THAT'S what these things are called) and have a handful of ideas, so for the next couple months, I'm going to try my damndest to get more content out for you loves.

Also, apologies to those following "No Regrets". I can't say that I'm working on it right now, but I can PROMISE that it will be done before the end of the year... I think. Yes, I sucketh ;w;


End file.
